Going to Concerts Can Extend Your Life, Study Says

A new behavioral science study has concluded that attending concerts on a regular basis is good for people’s well being – and could extend gig-goers lives by up to nine years. The study, commissioned by U.K. cellphone network O2, claimed that 20 minutes at a concert is better for you that the same amount of time spent doing yoga or dog-walking.

Researchers calculated that a 20-minute taste of live music increased people’s sense of well being by 21 percent, compared with 10 percent for yoga and 7 percent for dog-walking. “Key markers across the happiness spectrum” also increased, with self-worth up 25 percent, closeness to others up by the same amount, and mental stimulation boosted by 75 percent.

University lecturer Patrick Fagan, who led the investigation, said: “Our research showcases the profound impact gigs have on feelings of health, happiness and well being – with fortnightly or regular attendance being the key. Combining all of our findings with O2’s research, we arrive at a prescription of a gig a fortnight which could pave the way for almost a decade more years of life.”

O2 added: “Accompanying research showed a positive correlation between regularity of gig attendance and well being. Those who attend live concerts once a fortnight and more were the most likely to score their happiness, contentment, productivity and self-esteem at the highest level (10/10), suggesting that regularly experiencing live music is the key to building a long-standing improvement to well being.”

Simply listening to recorded music at home was no “quick-fix,” the report also said, claiming that “the shared experience, which performed so strongly in the research, is key to increasing well being.”